Saturday, February 11, 2006

Media Bias In The Olympics Coverage

I can't believe it. We didn't watch the opening ceremony for the Winter Olympic games! I don't recall the last time we've missed it. Let's just say, (for myself) it had been an exhausting week, one of the boys wasn't feeling well--and we all just went to bed early without even thinking about I guess. It's a shame really...

A good friend of mine watched it last night and sent some his own commentary to me this morning. With his kind permission, I publish it here. The title of this post is his own, and the comments are unedited:

As the athletes from the United States entered the arena last night, during the parade of athletes, the crowd erupted in applause. The commentator (anchor for NBC nightly news) said something like "Unexpected applause for the United States" Unexpected applause? Applause for the Nation, that people are willing to risk their lives to enter and maybe, just maybe, find a home where they and their families can prosper. Unexpected applause for a nation who at a moments notice can give more money, food and medical aid than many countries have for their own citizens in the best of years. Unexpected applause for a nation that has proven time and again that we are ready, willing, and able to send our troops, our sailors, our airmen and marines, to rid a country of an aggressor. Unexpected applause for a nation that is willing to admit its mistakes and work to correct those mistakes. My travels years ago in Europe and Asia and Australia and even South Africa, I never encountered "Anti-Americanism" Even the French, once you butter them up a bit, with a few Pro-France compliments will admit that they are thankful for our bailing them out in WWII and for the support of modern day France. Throughout Europe the United States was respected and looked up to, the problem is 100's of Millions of Europeans going about their daily business, knowing in the back of their minds that they can sleep safely tonight, isn't news worthy. But, 1000 Green Party (Watermelon Party, Green on the outside and Red on the Inside) Communist holding a Molotov Cocktail Party, in the streets of Frankfurt, shouting Down the the United States, George Bush is a Terrorist, is news worthy. Islamofascist, Muslim, militant youth, like their Nazi predecessors rampaging the cities of France, shouting Death to American, Death to Israel is news worthy.

My father once told me, if you want to know if the press is free in the country your a visiting pickup the news paper, if it slams the leadership of the country, if it slams the military of the country, if it plays up the worst news, national disasters, homelessness, hunger and ignores the good news then you are in a free country. If the Press only portrays the best news, Stocks are up to record high levels, the Vice President invents the Internet. President plays golf and score record export deal with Prime Minister so and so then you are not in a Free Press Country. Oh wait that means that sometimes we are in a Free country and sometimes we are in a controlled country..... I am confused. --DLS 11 Feb. 2006